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Help! Can somebody throw some light on this devious EV. I am totally lost and have only managed 6 answers. Thank You

You need to post a clue. Choose one that you already have some crossers for.

Thank you Rossim, it's not the clues I am confused by (have managed a few more of those) it's the long and complicated preamble I could do with help with.

This is a brilliant puzzle in my opinion.

Solve the clues and the extra letters give you the name of the game.

You then have to play the game to get the keyword and the 4 other letters which you then substitute somewhere in the grid. This leaves all real words.

Thank you dj..... I will keep plodding on now I understand what has to be done. Sadly haven't got any letters yet but I am somewhat hopeless at getting missing letters so won't give up.

Please can anyone help with the SE corner? In particular:
36a. Like grass to draw in before merriment (6) - I have R__N_Y
38a Labourite once introducing one who wouldn't partake to alcohol and Ecstasy (6) - I have __T_ER

I have the game and using the central four columns have arrived at a four letter word which relates to the components and might be the keyword. But I cannot see how to replace a line of eight cells with the keyword and the components (4,4 and 5). Any hints gratefully received. Thanks

38 Attlee, a Labourite once.
36 Riancy, merriment.
My parsing is often dodgy, so I won't attempt it.

The line of eight cells is 4 letters, a word, for the keyword and 4 letters/initials, components (as they're used throughout the grid).

I've filled the grid and got most of the 12 letters but they don't seem to suggest any game:

BUDLLANOS

I don't see how 3 more letters can make sense of that. I wonder about the D from 27a.

Orson, I no longer have my notes, so don't have all the details - but your letters aren't quite right. The D shouldn't be there - if you remove that, the first four letters are the start of the game. It's broken up 5, 3, 4 - and the title should help.

Thanks, malone. I thought band should become ban = bar, but I suppose a band can be a bar too.